Former Syracuse star Scoop Jardine talks about preparing for the NBA Draft

Former Syracuse guard Scoop Jardine is out in Los Angeles getting ready for the NBA Draft next month.

Jardine has been working out with fellow players Thomas Robinson from Kansas and UCLA's Lazeric Jones and runs through drills with former NBA player Pooh Richardson.

Jardine talked to SLAM ONLINE about his daily workouts and how graduating from Syracuse was part of his plan:

I was one of those guys. I always knew I would be an NBA player, I just wasn’t sure when, and my family never put a lot of pressure on me to be one-and-done, or two-and-out or whatever. For me, the goal was always just to get better on the court as a player, and off the court as a person. You know, in school I actually had some bumps and bruises on the way that shaped me and made me better...Everything I got, it all came from the hard work and the sacrifices that I had to make. And you know, I still have a chance of playing in the NBA, so it wasn’t about going and being a one-and-done. We knew it was going to be a process, and if I got through it, I’d be in a way better position for the future.

Jardine is one of four Orange players who could be drafted on June 28. Draft Express doesn't have Jardine listed on their mock draft, neither does NBADraft.net, so what happens if Scoop doesn't hear his name called?

"Well, right now, you just never know. I just want to continue to play basketball for as long as I can. And I think, if I don’t get drafted, I’d still believe in my talent, and know that I can make the league. It’s not the end of the world if you don’t get drafted, it just means you didn’t hear your name called that day. I know a lot of guys who didn’t get drafted, and who still made the NBA. But I know, if I don’t get drafted, you will still see me when the NBA season starts. And if you don’t see me then, you’ll see two or three years later. That’s my dream, and I’m going to continue to chase it."